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More Fruits and Vegetables Mean Lower Risk of Death

I’m sure you know that people with diabetes need to manage their
diet very carefully. It’s not just to keep their blood sugars level,
but also to help avoid one of the major complications of diabetes: cardiovascular
disease. Those with diabetes also have an increased risk of death from
all causes, and it appears that they also have a higher risk of certain
types of cancers.

Fortunately there is a lot of research on diet and cardiovascular disease,
but that’s in the general, non-diabetic population. A study recently
published in The Journal of Nutrition (2008;138(4):775-781) assessed
the eating habits of over 10,000 diabetics living in Europe. At the start
of the study the participants filled out a detailed questionnaire about
their eating habits, lifestyle, and other health-related conditions for
the previous year.

Over the following nine years the scientists tallied the cause of death
for all of the participants who died during the study. They then compared
their diets to those who remained alive. The results of their analysis
are quite similar to the results seen in studies of non-diabetic groups:
the more fruits, vegetables and legumes a subject ate, the less likely
they were to die of any cause at all. In fact, for every 80 extra grams
(that’s about 3 ounces) of fruits, vegetables or legumes a person
ate, their risk went down by 6%! This reduced risk held true regardless
of the test subject’s smoking status, Body Mass Index, or other common
variables.

When the researchers looked at only those deaths from cardiovascular
disease there were similar results. There was not a significant relationship,
however, between a person’s intake of fruits, vegetables or legumes
and their risk of death from cancer.

What this means for you

The results of this study support other, similar studies done on those
who are not diabetic. Eighty grams is about the size of half an apple.
Even if you’re not diabetic, make fruits, vegetables and legumes
(including beans and peanuts) part of your daily diet. They taste good,
they’re low in calories, and a few extra a day not only won’t
hurt, they might just save your life.